“then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him at the passages of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand.”
Judges 12:6 KJV
Jephthah’s victory over the Ammonites, offended the men of Ephraim because he didn’t ask them to join their forces. So Jephthah overpowered them in battle. When any Ephraimite tried to escape and asked permission to cross the river, the men of Gilead would ask, “Are you an Ephraimite?”, if he said, “No,” they would tell him to say “Shibboleth.” But if he could not pronounce it correctly and said “Sibboleth,” the men of Gilead would seize him and kill him there at the crossing place of the Jordan. At that time, they killed forty-two thousand Ephraimites. Because of their accent, the men of Ephraim were unable to pronounce Shibboleth, which means “branch” or “torrent”. Sibboleth means “ear of corn.” The men of Ephraim were betrayed by their speech. Believers today can likewise reveal who we are by our words. Since our words have power to release life or death, we must use them wisely. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of our mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace to the hearers. Amen!
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